Is the S16 a bust this year?

[hairy worthen]

Fan like that will never be happy unless they win a championship.  And I would rather enjoy the journey and have fun along the way rather than being disappointed 99% of the time.

exactly. if you are only happy when your team wins it all, you are not enjoying sports very much.

While I agree with your comments, history has a different way of viewing things.  Over a few years, people remember Conference Championships (Regular and Post Season), NCAA berth's, Sweet 16's, Elite 8's and Final 4's.

MU could finish 28-7, with the losses in the BE Championship and NCAA 1st game, and historically it will be remembered as an NCAA Team.  Harsh, but that is the way it get's remembered.  Not by the diehards, but to the rest of the populice.

I would guess that the rest of the populace couldn't tell you who was in the final four last year or previous years much less the sweet 16.

[brewcity77]

If we win the Big east tournament i could see a posible 2 seed if we win 4 of the next 5 as well.

Dead-on. Teams ahead of us are going to lose. If we finish 15-3 or 14-4 in Big East play and win the BET, I expect a #2 seed. We'll be the hot team, the Big 12 won't send three teams in as 2-seeds or better, and there's a decent chance either Duke or UNC could drop to the 3-line if they fail to reach the ACC title game, especially if FSU manages to finish in the top-two of the ACC.

exactly. if you are only happy when your team wins it all, you are not enjoying sports very much.

Or you are a Manchester United fan.

[hairy worthen]

Or you are a Manchester United fan.

If you are a soccer fan you probably have much bigger issues anyway.

[godzilla]

For me, as a player and a fan, losing always feels worse than winning feels good.  I hate losing more than I like winning.  Crappy outlook, I know, but that's how I'm wired.

Yeah, that's the way I look at it, too.  Winning is more a relief than anything.

And the reason the Kansas game stands out more than the Kentucky win was just the utter futility of the whole thing.  To get that far and not even make a representative showing...

[Lennys Tap]

For me, as a player and a fan, losing always feels worse than winning feels good.  I hate losing more than I like winning.  Crappy outlook, I know, but that's how I'm wired.

It's called being a competitor, and I'm the same way. The "journey" that some can thoroughly enjoy in the moment has been mostly a means to an end for me - winning  mostly a relief until it's that "final" win. Frustrating, but on the rare occasions when it actually happens - Whoa Baby!

I'm getting better about it with age - last year's win in the round of 32 against Syracuse was as much fun as a Final Four win would have been 30 years ago, but I'll never smell the roses along the way as well as some do - except in retrospect.

[hairy worthen]

It's called being a competitor, and I'm the same way. The "journey" that some can thoroughly enjoy in the moment has been mostly a means to an end for me - winning  mostly a relief until it's that "final" win. Frustrating, but on the rare occasions when it actually happens - Whoa Baby!

I'm getting better about it with age - last year's win in the round of 32 against Syracuse was as much fun as a Final Four win would have been 30 years ago, but I'll never smell the roses along the way as well as some do - except in retrospect.

I get that, except we are not competitors we are fans that have no control over how the team does.

[MUMac]

I would guess that the rest of the populace couldn't tell you who was in the final four last year or previous years much less the sweet 16.

Correct, they couldn't.  But how many lists do you see that tell you how many Sweet 16's, Elite 8's and Final 4's a School has been in?  In this thread, it was mentioned that MU has been in 3 Sweet 16's, the last 30 or so years.  No mention of any other team.  That is my point.  If MU finishes out the season with only a loss in the BE Championship Game and the 1st Round of the NCAA's, most will not remember how good the team was, how they played through injury ....  They will only remember where they finished in the NCAA's.

Just like the Amigo's final season.  All that is remembered is that MU lost in the 2nd Round to Missouri.  Nothing more about the fact they were Top 10 for a chunch of the season ...

[Skatastrophy]

It all depends on matchups. Sometimes you just get screwed.

Totally agree.

Success in the tournament is a TON of fun, but I can't judge our team solely on tourney success.  You never know when you're going to come up against a Cornell that shoots 70% from 3. 

[MUMac]

Totally agree.

Success in the tournament is a TON of fun, but I can't judge our team solely on tourney success.  You never know when you're going to come up against a Cornell that shoots 70% from 3. 

+1

Or face twin towers from Stanford.  When MU lost to Missouri, Stanford and Washington, I felt the seasons were successful. Those teams were fun to watch and ousted late in the games.  Had chances to win each.  I cannot remember those teams solely on the losses and when they occurred at the end of the season.

Last year was fun, getting to the Sweet 16.  But to me that team was not better than, nor did they out perform, the prior 3 teams MU put on the floor.

[KenoshaWarrior]

For me, as a player and a fan, losing always feels worse than winning feels good.  I hate losing more than I like winning.  Crappy outlook, I know, but that's how I'm wired.

you are actually wired like most people.  Look up "Loss Aversion" and you will see what I mean.

In essence.  Losing something hurts more than winning something feels good.

[BM1090]

exactly. if you are only happy when your team wins it all, you are not enjoying sports very much.

I would guess that the rest of the populace couldn't tell you who was in the final four last year or previous years much less the sweet 16.

Maybe I'm just insane or have a good memory, but off the top of my head I can name...:

Kentucky
Ohio State
Marquette
Syracuse
Duke
Arizona
UCONN
San Diego State
Kansas
Richmond
VCU
Florida State
Butler
Wisconsin
Florida
BYU

I just go from final four and trace the way back to the sweet sixteen matchups. Then again, I'm more obsessed with March than most people.

As far as the Big East Tournament goes, I just feel like this is our year to take it. Especially if we can earn the 2 or 3 seed and avoid Syracuse until the final.

[mug644]

...It's like the MU fans and the 2003 Final Four run.  Yeah, the Kansas game sucked big time.  But my joy after the Kentucky game way exceeded my sorrow during the Kansas game.  Yet for many fans, the first thing I hear when discussing the Final Four is the Kansas game.

Fan like that will never be happy unless they win a championship.  And I would rather enjoy the journey and have fun along the way rather than being disappointed 99% of the time.

Well, of course the Final Four memory is the Kansas game, 'cuz that's all we had and it was pathetic. But my memories of the whole season are much more positive, highlighted by the Kentucky win.

Maybe I'm just insane or have a good memory, but off the top of my head I can name...:

Kentucky
Ohio State
Marquette
Syracuse
Duke
Arizona
UCONN
San Diego State
Kansas
Richmond
VCU
Florida State
Butler
Wisconsin
Florida
BYU

I just go from final four and trace the way back to the sweet sixteen matchups. Then again, I'm more obsessed with March than most people.

As far as the Big East Tournament goes, I just feel like this is our year to take it. Especially if we can earn the 2 or 3 seed and avoid Syracuse until the final.

Syracuse was not in last year's Sweet 16, as that's who we beat to get there.

[wadesworld]

Well, of course the Final Four memory is the Kansas game, 'cuz that's all we had and it was pathetic. But my memories of the whole season are much more positive, highlighted by the Kentucky win.


Syracuse was not in last year's Sweet 16, as that's who we beat to get there.

Yup.  Missing UNC, who kicked our ass in the S16.

[BM1090]

Well, of course the Final Four memory is the Kansas game, 'cuz that's all we had and it was pathetic. But my memories of the whole season are much more positive, highlighted by the Kentucky win.


Syracuse was not in last year's Sweet 16, as that's who we beat to get there.

Of course. I knew that but traced back one round too far. Missed one of the two teams who should have been impossible to miss.